Brazil steelmaker Usiminas’ plant suffers explosion

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A plant run by Brazilian steelmaker Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais SA, suffered an explosion on Friday, according to the company’s press office and firefighters in the Ipatinga municipality in the state of Minas Gerais.

The blast was centered on piece of equipment that stores gases released during the steel production process, according to the press office of the company, also known as Usiminas. The steelmaker said it had no information about possible victims.

Shares in Usiminas, which said it had halted the plant’s blast furnaces temporarily, were down more than 9 pct on reports of the explosion.